Device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers in travelling wave looms

ABSTRACT

The device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers is intended for use in travelling wave looms, wherein the weft carriers are driven by an endless chain conveyor. In the device, employed as the winding means is a rotatable hollow tube mounted in a rotary plate and carrying a thread guide whose outlet hole is located within the weft carrier at the level of the spool. Rotation of both the hollow tube and the plate, is imparted from the main shaft of the loom. The chain conveyor that moves the weft carriers is driven by U-shaped on the rotary plate. After winding the weft thread on the spools the hollow tube with the thread guide is stopped in a position, wherein the weft thread is laid into the thread tensioner of the weft carrier, moving towards the shed of the loom, and then into a weft end grip arranged on the plate, whereupon the weft thread is cut off near the thread tensioner. This enables a continuous control of the weft thread position and the cut-off weft end to be reliably gripped.

atent 1 ie Sttes Galperin et al.

[ Sept. 17, 1974 [76] Inventors: Alexandr Lvovich Galperin, ulitsa Moldagulovoi, 10, korpus 3, kv. 166; Albert Semenovich Serebryanniltov, ulitsa Krasikova 3, korpus 2, kv. 63; Alexandr Alexandrovich Zabotin, Profsojuznaya ulitsa, 96 kv. 85; Eduard Arshakovich Onikov, ulitsa Panferova 5, korpus 2, kv. 106, all of Moscow; Vladimir llosifovich Lukoslikov, Kooperativnaya ulitsa, l9, kv. 33, Shuya lvanovskoi Oblasti; Valeryan Petrovich Lileev, ulitsa Nagornaya 46/48, korpus 20, kv. 2, Moscow; Evgeny Dmitrievich Loschilin, Kashirskoe shosse, 36, kv. 87, Domodedovo Moskovskoi Oblasti; Zinovy Yaltovlevich Rutkevich, Medvedkovo, 8 kvartal, korpus l8, kv. 21, Moscow; Boris Alexandrovich Sakharov, ulitsa Krzhizhanovskogo, 24/35, korpus 6, kv. 404, Moscow; Roman Antolievich German, ulitsa Davydkovskaya, 30, kv. 50, Moscow, all of USSR.

22 Filed: July 2,1973

[21] Appl. No.: 375,862

[52] US. Cl. 139/12, 139/122 R [51] Int. Cl. D03d 47/26, D03j 1/12 [58] Field of Search 139/12, 13, 224 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,379,224 4/1968 Fend 139/224 3,724,508 4/1973 Jekl et al. l39/l2 3,732,896 5/1973 Jekl et al. 139/12 Primary ExaminerHenry S. .laudon Attorney, Agent, or FirmWaters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen 5 7 ABSTRACT The device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers is intended for use in travelling wave looms, wherein the weft carriers are driven by an endless chain conveyor.

In the device, employed as the winding means is a rotatable hollow tube mounted in a rotary plate and carrying a thread guide whose outlet hole is located within the weft carrier at the level of the spool. Rotation of both the hollow tube and the plate, is imparted from the main shaft of the loom. The chain conveyor that moves the weft carriers is driven by U-shaped on the rotary plate. After winding the weft thread on the spools the hollow tube with the thread guide is stopped in a position, wherein the weft thread is laid into the thread tensioner of the weft carrier, moving towards the shed of the loom, and then into a weft end grip arranged on the plate, whereupon the weft thread is cut off near the thread tensioner. This enables a continuous control of the weft thread position and the cut-off weft end to be reliably gripped.

10 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PAIENTEU SEP] 7 1924 PATEMEB SEP 1 71914 3,835,893 SHEET 0F 8 PATENIEBSEF 1 71974 SHEETS of a PATENTEBSEPI 7 1914 sl m ear 8 1 DEVICE FOR WINDING WEFT THREAD ONTHE SPOOLS OF WEFT CARRIERS IN TRAVELLING WAVE LOOMS The present invention relates to travelling wave looms, and more specifically to devices for winding weft thread on the spools of the weft carriers in these looms.

Known in the art is a device to wind weft thread on the spools of weft carriers in travelling wave looms, comprising a fixed cam and a plate rotated from the main shaft of the loom. Said plate is provided with grips for the weft ends, and with means for winding the weft thread on the spools of the weft carriers. The weft carriers are titted with thread tensioners, and are moved by an endless conveyor in synchronism with the rotating plate. The weft end grips and the winding means are so located around the periphery of the plate, that their distance from the axis of its rotation equals the radius of turn of the endless conveyor, and hence, the trajectories of movement of the weft carriers and said means in the winding zone coincide.

In this device, the fixed cam is arch-shaped and is made of rubber to attain more effective adhesion to the weft winding means. The weft winding means are made essentially as freely rotatable cylindrical rolls mounted along the periphery of the plate.

The weft end grips are made as a rotary ring against which the spools of the weft carriers are pressed. Before getting into such a grip the weft end may have any length and be in any position the latter being difficult to determine, as a result of which a secure grip of the weft end to be wound on the spool is impossible to at tain. Inasmuch as winding is done by virtue of forces of friction between the rolls and the cam, slippage is liable to occur, an allowance being thus necessary for the thread length.

All these disadvantages cause abnormal wastage of the weft thread, reduce production rate of the loom and raise the cost of the product.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers in travelling wave looms that would effect accurate spooling of the weft thread of a definite length in synchronism with the operation of the loom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for winding weft thread on the spools on weft carriers in travelling wave looms that would ensure a reliable grip and control of the weft end before its spooling.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers in travelling wave looms that would secure a definite length of the weft end suspended from the thread grip and permit the production rate of the loom to be increased without increasing the size or complieating the design of this device.

With these and other objects in view, in a device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers in travelling wave looms, comprising a fixed cam and a plate rotated from the main shaft of the loom and provided with grips for the weft ends, and with means for winding the weft thread on the spools of the weft carriers, the carrier being fitted with thread tensioners and being moved by an endless conveyor in synchronism with the rotating plate, in which device the weft end grips and the winding means are so located around the periphery of the plate that their distance from the axis of its rotation equals the radius of turn of the endless conveyor, so as to bring into coincidence the trajectories of movement of the 'weft'car rie'rs with those of said means in the zone of winding, according to the invention each windingmeans is placed ahead of the grip as viewed along the direction of rotation of the plate, and comprises a hollow tube which is aligned with the axis of rotation of the spool of the weft carrier within the zone of coincidence of said trajectories and is rotated within this zone through a gearing located on the rotary plate and rolling over the fixed cam, one end of said hollow tube being provided with a thread guide whose outlet hole is located within the weft carrier at the level of the spool; its other end being fitted with an arrangement to fix the thread guide before the point of divergence of said trajectories in a position, wherein the thread guide passes through the thread tensioner of the weft carrier after the latter has passed the point of divergence of said trajectories to lay the weft thread, before it is cut off near the thread tensioner of the weft carrier, in said thread tensioner, and then while moving between the points of divergence and convergence of the trajectories, the thread guide passes through the weft end grip.

Thus, location of the winding means ahead of the weft end grip as viewed along the direction of the plate rotation makes it possible to place the weft threadin a definite position before its cutting and load the thread in the grip when taut before beingwound.

Rotation of the winding means from the main shaft of the loom enables synchronization of the rate of weft spooling with the speed of the loom, which makes it possible to increase the production rate of the latter without increasing the size or complicating the design of the winding device.

Furthermore, provision of the winding means as a hollow tube fitted with a thread guide and an arrangement to fix the thread guide in a definite position, wherein the thread is inserted into the thread tensioner and the grip, thus locating the weft thread in a definite position, allows of controlling the end of the weft thread without any human intervention, and securely inserting it into the grip and feeding it to the spool of the weft carrier. I I

Location of the outlet hole of the thread guide in level with the spool of the weft carrier enables winding of the thread directly on an immovable spool andobviates the need to lift the thread guide over the weft carrier before the points of convergence and divergence of the trajectories, which largely simplifies the design of the whole winding device.

Fixing the thread guide in a position, wherein it passes through the thread tensioner of the weft carrier after the latter has passed the point of divergence of the trajectories, and through the weft end grip, to lay the thread therein before it is cut off, makes it possible to realize a secure grip of the thread by the thread tensioner and the weft end grip end grip without any damage to the thread guide, and thus to keep the weft thread under control in the course of its transfer from one weft carrier to another.

The invention is further characterized by that the said gearing comprises a gear segment articulated to the plate, one end of which segment has serration, and the other end is fitted with a roller that rides over the fixed cam during rotation of the plate arid thus causing reciprocating-rotary motion of the gear segment, the latter interacting with a gear train, of which one gear is fixed on the hollow tube, and the shafts of the other gears are articulated to the plate, the interaction of the gear segment with the gear train being effected through a mechanism that prevents rotation of the hollow tube in the direction opposite to the direction of the weft thread winding on the spool of te weft carrier.

Such a design of the gearing renders it possible to bring about the mechanical linkage of the winding means with the main shaft of the loom for synchronizing their operation, rule out rotation of the thread guide outside the winding zone and eliminate inaccuracies in the length of the weft thread.

In accordance with one of its embodiments, the mechanism preventing rotation of the tube in the direction opposite to the direction of weft thread winding comprises a jaw clutch consisting of two clutch members which are spring-forced against each other and are mounted one above the other on the shaft of one of the gears of said gear train the jaws of said members facing each other and the upper clutch members being set on the shaft so as to be capable of moving therealong as the gear segment rotates oppositely to the direction of weft thread spooling to disengage the lower clutch member, the latter being essentially a gear that is in mesh with the gear segment and is rotatably set on the shaft, the disengagement of the clutch members being carrier out by a bifurcated arm straddling the upper clutch member and moving it along the shaft as this arm is actuated by a fixed wedge-shaped cam arranged parallel to the trajectory of movement of the hollow tube outside the zone of coincidence of the trajectories.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the mechanism preventing rotation of the tube in the direction opposite to the direction of weft thread winding is made as a differential gearing, comprising a ring gear, a pinion carrier one end of which carries the pinion, and the other end a gear meshing with the gear segment, a sun gear with outer and inner toothings, and a fixed gear secured under the fixed cam and meshing, through an idle gear, with the outer toothing of the sun gear, the inner toothing of the latter being through the pinion engaged with the ring gear, the ring gear being mounted on the shaft of the gear of said gear train, and the pinion carrier and sun gear being rotatably set on said same shaft.

The invention is characterized also in that then arrangement for fixing the thread guide comprises an interlocking disk with a recess on its side surface which is mounted on the hollow tube, and a three-arm lever pivotally connected to the rotary plate, of which one arm contacts a fixed wedge-shaped cam arranged parallel to the coinciding trajectories, the other arm contacts the interlocking disk so as to enter its recess before the point of divergence of the trajectories and thus to fix the disk and, accordingly, the hollow tube with the thread guide, while the thied arm engages a cam mounted on the shaft of the gear of said gear train.

The invention is characterized also in that mounted on the rotary plate over the hollow tube are a grip of the weft thread and a compensator of the weft thread length, the latter being made as a spring-loaded lever, of which one end is pivotally connected to the plate, and which has near this end a slot, wherein a roller is mounted, adapted to therealong, said roller interacting with a fixed wedge-shaped cam located before the point of coincidence of the trajectories and in the beginning of the zone of their coincidence, while the other end of the lever has an eyelet through which passes the weft thread passing from the weft end grip through the hollow tube to said weft grip, this lever being placed between the hollow tube and the weft grip and being capable of swinging when its roller interacts with the fixed wedge-shaped cam to pull in the end of the weft thread through the weft end grip and the hollow tube after it has been cut off near the thread tensioner of the weft carrier.

This enables the pulling up of the end of the weft thread cut off near the thread tensioner so as to leave a short end in the grip, which reduces weft thread wastage, regulates the length of thread to be wound on the spools and prevents the weft ends from getting into the movable parts of the loom.

The invention is also characterized in that located before the point of coincidence of the trajectories is a curved rod servicing to lift the weft thread stretched between the weft end grip and the thread guide. This allows of approaching the thread to the spool of the weft carrier without lifting or lowering the thread guide relative to the upper plane of the weft carrier, the thread bypassing the tensioner of the latter, which significantly simplifies the design of the winding device.

The next feature of the invention consists in that to locate the outlet hole of the thread guide level with the spool of the weft carrier, a recess is provided in the latter to place the spool therein so that a clearance be left between the casing of the weft carrier and the spool to accommodate the thread guide therein.

One more feature of the invention consists in that the rotary plate is provided with U-shaped teeth located on its side surface in order to engage the conveyor and move it together with the plate. This makes possible synchronization of the rotational speed of the plate with the speed of movement of the chain conveyor, and also accurate location of the spools of the weft carriers under the winding means.

For uniformly spreading the coils of the weft thread wound on the spool, the latter is expedient to have a tapered shape.

Thus, when compared with conventional winding devices, the proposed device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers is relatively simple in design and reliable in operation, works in synchronism with the loom and secures an accurate length of the weft thread. What is more, this device makes it possible to regulate the length of the weft thread to be wound on the spool, and to carry out automatic and reliable insertion of the weft thread into the grip while transferring it from one weft carrier to another on completion of the winding process.

The invention is now exemplified in a description of a particular illustrative embodiment of the device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers in travelling wave looms with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers and of the endless conveyor moving the weft carriers;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of part of the plate with an arrangement for fixing the thread guide;

FIG. 3 is a section along line III-Ill in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of part of the plate with the arrangement for fixing the thread guide and a mechanism adapted to prevent rotation of the hollow tube in the direction opposite to the direction of winding;

FIG. 5 is a section along line VV in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a side elevation of the roller fixed in the slot of the spring-loaded lever;

FIG. 7 shows the position of the weft carrier, the curved rod, and the weft thread stretched between the thread guide and the weft end grip;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 shows the interaction of the fixed wedgeshaped cam with the thread tensioner of the weft carrier to open the thread tensioner before insertingthe weft thread therein;

FIG. 10 shows the process of pulling the cut-off weft end by the spring-loaded lever through the weft end grip and the hollow tube befire the weft thread is spooled;

FIG. 11 shows the position of the grips at the moment of winding the weft thread after it has been puller through the weft end grip; and

FIG. 12 shows the position of the grips at the moment of inserting the weft thread into the'thread tensioner of the weft carrier on completion of the winding process.

Employed in travelling wave shedding looms for moving weft carriers 1 (FIG. 1) is an endless chain conveyor 2 arranged in a horizontal plane, the links of which move the weft carrier 1 in'the shed of the loom, and which has straight-line sections A and B and rotary sections C and D.

A conveyor 2 is located so that its rotary sections C and D are arranged on the lateral sides of the loom, the straight-line section A is located over a formed fabric 3, and the section B is situated over warp threads 4 that from the shed.

Located over the rotary section D of the conveyor 2 is a device 5 for winding the weft thread on spools 6 of the weft carriers 1, comprising a rotatable dished plate 8 with a top cover 7 (FIGS. 2, 3), a fixed cam 9, means 10 for winding the weft thread on the spools 6 of the weft carriers, and grips 11 for the end of the weft thread.

The plate 8 is rotated from the main shaft of the loom (not shown) through a gearing 12. The cam 9 is fixed on a stationary shaft 13 coaxially with the plate 8, holes 14 being provided for this purpose in the plate 8 and in the gears of the gearing 12, through which freely passes the shaft 13.

The grips 11 and the winding means 10 are mounted around the periphery of the plate 8, their distance from the shaft 13 equalling the radius R (FIG. 1) of turn of section D of the endless conveyor 2 to bring into coincidence the trajectories 15 of movement of the weft carriers 1 and the means 10 within this section D, and thus to form a zone, wherein the weft thread is wound on the spools 6 of the weft carriers. The point of convergence of the trajectories 15 of movement of the means 10 and the carriers 1 is designed at F, and the point of divergence of these trajectories 15 is designated at M.

Each winding means 10 is placed ahead of the grip 11 as viewedalong the direction of rotation of the plate 8, which is designated at E in FIG. 1, and comprises a hollow tube 16 (FIG. 3) which is aligned with the axis 00 rotation of the spool 6 of the carrier 1 within the zone D (FIG. 1) of coincidence of the trajectories 1'5, and is rotated within this zone through agearing 17 (FIG. 3) provided on the plate 8 and riding over the fixed cum 9.

Secured at one end of the hollow tube 16 is a curved hollow thread guide 18 whose outlet hole 19 is located in level with the spool 6 inside the weft carrier, while the other end of this tube carries an arrangement 20 adapted to fix the thread guide 18 before reaching the point M (FIG. 1) of divergence of the trajectories 15 of the weft carrier 1 and the hollow tube 16 in a position, wherein the thread guide 18 passes through a thread tensioner 21 of the carrier 1 after the latter crosses the point M to lay the weft thread in the thread tensioner 21, before it is cut off near it, and then through the grip 11, while moving between the respective points M and F of divergence and convergence of the trajectories.

The hollow tube 16 passes through holes 22 (FIG. 3) made in the cover 7 and the plate 8, the thread guide 18 is located under the plate 8, the arrangement 20 for fixing the thread guide being arranged on the cover 7.

The weft end grips 11 are located outside the plate 8 on its bottom plane L, and comprise a lower jaw 24, an upper jaw 25, and a spring 23 to force them together.

The lower jaw 24 is secured on a movable rod 26 passing through a hole made in the jaw 25 which is attached to the plate 8. The free end of a rod 26 interacts with the arm of a two-arm lever 27 which is pivotally mounted on the plate 8. The other arm of the lever 27 is fitted with a roller 28 riding over a fixed wedge-' shaped cam 29 which provides for the opening of the jaws 24 and 25. The cam 29 is fixed on a frame 30 parallel to the plate '8 in the end of zone D and within the path between the points M and F ('FIG. 1).

The hollow tube 16 '(FIG. 1) is rotated from the fixed cam 9 through the gearing 17, both being located inside the dished plate 8. Gearing 17 comprises a gear segment 31 interacting with a train of gears 32, 33, 34, 35, of which the gear 35 is mounted on the hollow tube 16, the gears 33 and 34 are set on a shaft 36 pivotally connected to the plate 8 and the cover 7, and the gear 32 is mounted on a shaft 37 which is likewise pivotally mounted on the plate 7.

The segment 31 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 38 and has at its one end a toothing, while its other end carries roller 39 held in a slot 40 in the fixed earn 9. As the plate 8 rotates, the roller 39 moves along the slot 40 in the cam 9 and thus sets the segment 31 in reciprocal rotary motion.

The segment 31 interacts with the gearing 17 through a mechanism 41 which prevents the hollow tube 16 from rotating in the direction opposite to the direction of winding of the weft thread onto the spool 6.

The mechanism 41 can be made as a jaw clutch or a differential gearing.

The jaw clutch consists of two clutch members 42 and 43 mounted one above the other on the sheet 37 and having teeth 44 on their adjacent end faces. The upper clutch member 42 is forced by a spring 45 against the lower clutch member 43 which is essentially a gear meshing with the toothing of the segment 31, and rotatably mounted on the shaft 37.

The clutch member 42 is mounted on the shaft 37 by means of a key 46 so as to be capable of moving along said shaft to get disengaged from the lower clutch member 43 on completion of winding of the weft thread on the spool 6 and during rotation of the segment 31 in the direction opposite to the direction of winding.

The disengagement of the clutch members 42 and 43 is effected by a bifurcated arm 47 (FIG. 2) straddling the upper clutch member 42 and moving it along the shaft 37 while interacting with a wedge-shaped cam 48 fixed on the frame 30 (FIG. 3) parallel to the trajectory of movement of the hollow tube 16 outside the zone D (FIG. 1) of coincidence of the trajectories 15.

Provided at the ends of the bifurcated arm 47 (FIG. 2) are rollers 49, the arm 47 being fixed on a shaft 50 and interacting with the cam 48 through an arm 51, one end of which is attached to the shaft 50 and the other end is fitted with a roller 52 contacting the cam 48.

As the upper clutch member 42 is lifted and sunk by the arm 47, the shaft 50 turns in bearings mounted on the cover 7.

To engage the clutch members 42 and 43 (FIG. 3), one end of the spring 45 abuts against the clutch member 42, and the other end against a disk cam 53 fixed on the shaft 37.

With such a design of the gear train and the mechanism 41 adapted to prevent rotation of the hollow tube 16 opposite to the direction of winding the weft thread, the arrangement 20 adapted to fix the thread guide comprises an interlocking disk 54 with a recess 55 (FIG. 2) formed on its side surface, and a three-arm lever 56 spring-forced against the interlocking disk 54.

The interlocking disk 54 (FIG. 3) is fixed on the hollow tube 16 to rotate together therewith, and the threearm lever 56 is hinged on a pivot 57 mounted on the cover 7. Provided on the respective arm ends of the lever 56 (FIG. 2) are rollers 58, 59, 60. The arm with the roller 58 contacts a fixedwedge-shaped cam 61 (FIG. 3) mounted on the frame 30 parallel to the zone D of coincidence of trajectories. The arm of the lever 56 that carries the roller 59 (FIG. 2) interacts with the interlocking disk 54 during the last revolution of the hollow tube 16, the roller 59 entering the recess 55 in the disk 54 before the point M of divergence of trajectories is reached, and thus locking the disk 54 together with the hollow, tube 16 and the thread guide 18 (FIG. 1) in a position, wherein the thread guide 18 passes through an opened thread tensioner 21 of the weft carrier 1 after the latter has crossed the point M, and then through the opened grip 11 while moving between the points M and F, to lay the weft thread therein before it is cut off near the thread tensioner 21.

The side surface of the disk 54 has a helical shape, so that the walls forming the recess 55 have a varying depth; thus, a wall 62 is deeper than a wall 63, which ensures a reliable catching and retention of the roller 59 in the recess, and hence, secure locking of the disk 54.

The arm of the lever 56 that carries the roller 60 interacts before the end of the winding process with the disk cam 53 fixed on the shaft 37.

The mechanism 41 (FIG. 4) can be made as a differential gearing, comprising a ring gear 64 (FIG. a pinion carrier 65, a sun gear 66, and a fixed gear 67 secured on the shaft 13 under the fixed cam 9.

One end of the pinion carrier 65 mounts a pinion 68, and the other end carries a gear 69 which is engaged with the toothing of the gear segment 31.

The sun gear 66 has an outer toothing 70 and an inner toothing 71, the outer toothing 70 meshing through an idle gear 72 with the fixed gear 67, the gear 72 rolling over it during rotation of the plate 8. The inner toothing 71 of the sun gear 66 engages the ring gear 64 through the pinion 68. In this case the gear train comprises two gears, 73 and 74, one of which (74) is fixed on the hollow tube 16, while the gear 73 is mounted on shaft 75 which is pivotally mounted on the plate 8 and the cover 7.

The ring gear 64 is fixed on the shaft 75, and the pinion carrier 65 and the sun gear 66 are rotatably mounted on said shaft 75.

With such a design of the mechanism 41, the arrangement 20 adapted to fix the thread guide is similar in design to the above-described arrangement 20, and its disk cam 53 is fixed on the shaft 75.

To keep under tension the weft thread when it is taken through the thread tensioner 21 (FIG. 1) of the carrier 1 after the latter has crossed the point M of divergence of trajectories, and then through the weft end grip 11 within the path between the respective points M and F of divergence and convergence of the trajectories, as well as after the weft thread has been cut off near the thread tensioner, provided in the device is a weft thread grip 76 (FIG. 3) and a compensator of the weft thread length, comprising a lever 78 with a spring 77 (FIGS. 2 and 4), the swinging of which results in the weft end cut off near the thread tensioner 21 being drawn through the jaws 24 and 25 of the grip 11 to pull up the cut-off weft end and place it between the grips l1 and 76 (FIGS. 3 and 5), so that a short weft end be suspended from the grip 11.

The grip 76 is similar to the grip l1 and is mounted on the cover 7 over the hollow tube 16, its jaws moving in a plane parallel to the plane of the plate 8.

The spring-loaded lever 78 is curved as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, one end thereof having an eyelet 79 for the weft thread passing through the grip 11, the hollow tube 16, and the grip 76, and the other end being hinged on a pivot 80 provided on the cover 7 so that the eyelet 79 of the lever 78 is aligned with the hollow tube 16. A slot 81 is formed between the eyelet 79 and the pivot 80 nearby the latter, said slot accommodating a roller 82 adapted to perform setting-up motions there along. Due to these setting-up motions of the roller 82, the cut-off weft end can be drawn through the grip 11 for varying lengths, the end suspended from the grip 11 accordingly having a varying desirable length.

What is more, this affords a possibility of adjusting the length of the weft thread wound on the spool 6 of the carrier 1.

To realize the setting-up motions of the roller 82, cross splines 83 are formed on the surface of the lever 78 along the entire slot 81 while placed between the roller 82 set on a shaft 84 (FIG. 6) passing through the slot 81, and the lever 78 is a washer 85 having splines corresponding to the splines 83 to engage the latter.

Provided at the end of the shaft 84 is a thread to screw v a nut 86 thereon which fixes the roller 82 in the required position.

To swing the lever 78 (FIGS. 3 and 5) about the pivot 80 and thus pull up the weft thread before reaching the point F of convergence of trajectories and in the beginning of the zone D of convergence of trajectories 15, fixed on the frame 30 is a wedge-shaped cam 87 which is contacted by the roller 82 (FIGS. 2 and 5). The slot 81 makes an angle a with a tangent line a passing through the trajectory b of movement of the roller 82 about the shaft 13 of the device during the plate rotation. This permits changing the distance between the roller 82 and the wedge-shaped cam 87.

The lever 78 (FIGS. 3 and 5) is located between the hollow tube 16 and the grip 76, and lest the weft thread should slip out from the grip 76 with the swinging lever 78, placed therebetween is a guide 88 whose hole 89 is aligned with the hollow tube 16. Mounted over the grip 76 is a guide 90, and located thereabove is a bobbin 91 with the weft thread, the number of bobbins 91 equalling the number of the winding means 10. The bobbins 91 are retained in bobbin holders 92 mounted on a frame 92 which is fixed on the cover 7.

Located before the point F (FIG. 1) of convergence of trajectories is a curved rod 94 serving to raise the weft thread stretched between the weft end grip 11 (FIGS. 7 and 8) and the thread guide 19 when this thread approached the spool 6 of the carrier 1, so as to bypass the thread tensioner 21. The curved portion of the rod 94 is located above the level of the outlet hole 19 in the thread guide 18.

The thread tensioner 21 of the weft carrier 1 comprises jaws 95 and 96 (FIG. 9). The jaw 96 is attached to the carrier 1, and the jaw 95, is fixed on one of the arms of a curved two-arm lever 98 which is provided with a spring 97 and secured on a pivot 99 in the carrier 1. The other arm of the lever 98 is fitted with a roller 100 contacting a fixed wedge-shaped cam 101 for retracting the jaw 95 from the jaw 96, i.e., for opening the thread tensioner 21.

The cam 101 is located on the frame 30 in the zone of divergence of trajectories, i.e., in the beginning of the straight-line section B (FIG. 1).

To locate the outlet hole 19 (FIG. 8) of the thread guide 18 in level with the spool 6 of the carrier 1, provided in the casing of the latter is a recess 102 (FIG. 8), wherein the spool 6 is placed. The spool 6 is positioned in the recess 102 with a clearance 103 between the easing of the weft carrier and the spool to accommodate the thread guide 18.

The spool 6 (FIGS. 3, 5, 7) has a tapered shape to provide for a uniform spreading of the turns of the weft thread in the course of its winding, since while winding each subsequent turn, the previously wound turn slips down to the base of the spool under the effect of thread tension.

To synchronize the rotational speed of the plate with the speed of movement of the conveyor 2, the plate 8 is provided with U-shaped teeth 104 which in the course of rotation of the plate 8 engage pins 105 of links 106 of the chain conveyor 2, .to move the latter.

The fixed wedge-shaped cams 29, 48, 61, 87 (FIGS. 3 and 5) are mounted on the frame 30 of the loom around the plate 8 at different heights, and are shifted relative to one an other in accordance with the process of the weft thread winding on the spools.

The proposed device for winding weft thread operates as follows.

The ends of the weft threads 107 are each threaded from the respective bobbin 9] through the guide 90, the grip 76, the eyelet 89 of the guide 88, the eyelet 79 of the lever 78, the hollow tube 16, the thread guide 18, and the weft endgrip 1.1.

On energizing the drive of the loom (not shown), motion is transmitted through the gearing 12 to the plate 8 which rotates about the shaft 13. With the rotation of the plate 8, its U-shaped teeth 104 (FIG. 1) engage the pins of the links 106 of the conveyor 2 and move it. While moving in synchronism with the plate 8 the conveyor 2 drives the weft carriers 1. As the plate 8 starts rotating, the lever 78 actuated by the wedgeshaped cam 87 (FIGS. 3, 5) swings to pull the weft thread 107 through the opened grip 11 (FIG. 10). so that a short end of this thread remains suspended therefrom, whereas the jaws of the grip 76 are closed to prevent unwinding of the weft thread from the bobbin 9], whereupon the spring 23 (FIGS. 3, 5) acts to close the jaws 24 and 25 of this grip 11, the weft thread being gripped therein. By displacing the roller 82 (FIGS. 2, 4) in the slot 81 the angle of swinging of the lever 78 can be varied, since it changes the distance between the roller 82 and the fixed wedge-shaped cam 87. As a result, the length of the thread wound on the spool of the carrier is also changed on account of variation in the length of the weft end suspended from the grip 11 after the thread has been pulled in by the lever 78.

Since the thread guide 18 (FIGS. 3, 5) in the process of winding makes a predetermined whole number of revolutions about the spool 6, variation in the number of revolutions can yield only stepped regulation of the weft length. As after the winding action of the thread guide the weft end suspended from the grip 11 is also wound onto the spool, increasing or decreasing its length produces a stepless increase or decrease in the length of thread wound on the spool 6. The length of the weft thread 107 pulled through the grip 11 by the lever 78 in this case increases or decreases accordingly. Consequently, the unwinding of the weft thread from the bobbin 91 starts earlier or later, thus a greater or lesser amount of thread being unwound from the bobbin 91. In this case the adjustment should advantageously be done within the length of one turn of the weft thread, or else the suspended weft end would be too long.

The weft thread 108 (FIG. 8) stretched between the grip 11 and the thread guide 18 is then raised by the rod 94 and brought into the recess 102 of the weft carrier bypassing its thread tensioner 21.

Since the arc length 1 (FIG. 1) between the hollow tubes 16 of the two adjacent winding means 10 is multiple of the spacing of the pins 105 of the links 106 of the conveyor 2, the latter approaches the carriers 1 so that their spools 6 are positioned in line with the hollow tubes 16.

At the moment of coincidence of the trajectories 15 of movement of the hollow tube 16 and the weft carrier 1, the roller 58 (FIGS. 3, 5) of the three-arm lever 56 gets in contact with the fixed cam 61, and the roller 59 disengages the interlocking disk 54 letting it rotate together with the hollow tube 16.

Thereupon, the roller 39 of the gear segment 31, as it moves along the slot 40 in the cam 9 whose radius of curvature increases, starts rotating the segment 31. The latter, through the mechanism 41 and the gearing 17, rotates the hollow tube 16 with the thread guide 18 (FIG. 1) which thus winds the weft thread 107 onto the spool 6. Now the roller 82 of the lever 78 (FIGS. 2, 4) disengages the cam 87, and the spring 77 returns the lever 78 into the initial position, i.e., its eyelet 79 is now placed in line with the hollow tube 16 (FIGS. 3,

As the lever 78 is returning to the initial position, the jaws of the grip 76 open under the action of the wedgeshaped cam 108 fixed on the frame 30, the weft thread 107 wound on the spool 6 being now directly unwound from the bobbin 91.

Several revolutions of the hollow tube 16 with the thread guide 18 before the end of the winding process, the roller 58 of the lever 56 disengage the cam 61, and the roller 60 of the three-arm lever 56 is by the spring 109 (FIGS. 2, 4) pressed against the disk cam 53. During the last revolution, on account of the decreasing radius of curvature of this cam 53, the roller 59 comes into contact with the interlocking disk 54 and while rolling thereabout enters its recess 55 to lock the disk 54 together with the hollow tube 16 and the thread guide 18 in a position, wherein the weft thread 107 is taken through the thread tensioner 21 of the carrier 1 and the grip 11.

At this moment the jaws of the weft end grip 1 1 (FIG. 12) are opened by the action of the cam 29 and release the end of the weft thread, while the jaws of the grip 76 are closed by their spring (not shown) and arrest the weft thread 107.

At this time it is possible to regulate the length of the weft thread to be wound on the spool of the weft carrier by changing the moment of catching the thread by grip 76 and releasing its end from the grip 11 while the thread guide 18 rotates in the process of winding. As a result, the thread guide 18 keeps rotating, and the spool of the carrier starts rotating together therewith, while no weft thread is unwound from the bobbin 91.

In this case, the length of the weft thread to be wound on the spool can be regulated within several revolutions of the thread guide 18, since the access of the weft thread from the bobbin 91 can be stopped at any time by simultaneously opening the grip 11 and closing the grip 76. This is achieved by shifting the respective wedge-shaped cams around the plate 8.

In the process of winding of the weft thread onto the spools 6, the plate 8 (FIG. 1) has turned through 180, and after the weft carrier 1 has crossed the point M of divergence of trajectories, the thread guide 18 fixed in a definite position passes through the thread tensioner 21 (FIG. 12) whose jaws 95, 96 are moved apart, and lays the weft thread therein.

With the further divergence of the trajectories 15 of the hollow tube 16 and the carrier 1, the weft thread 107 is unwound from the spool 6, and the weft end previously laid in the grip 11 emerges therefrom. The jaws 95 and 96 of the thread tensioner 21 are closed by their spring 97 (FIG. 9) and capture the weft thread laid therein.

With the increase in the distance between the weft carrier 1 (FIG. 1) moving along the conveyor section B and the hollow tube 16 moving between the points M and F, the weft thread continuous to be unwound from the spool 6 and is laid by the thread guide into the opened grip 11. Thereupon, scissors 110 placed in section B near the warp threads 4 cut off the weft thread at the thread tensioner 21 of the carrier 1. The remaining end of the weft thread 107 is pulled through the opened grip 11 by the lever 78 whose swinging is actuated in the above-described way, and the winding process is resumed. The weft thread is wound in the similar way by each of the means 10 during the rotation of the plate 8. Thus, the weft thread 107 wound on the spool 6 of the carrier 1 is cutoff from the thread on the bobbin 91 only after it has been gripped by the jaws of the thread tensioner 21 and is laid in the opened grip 11, the resulting long weft end being instantaneously pulled through the grip 11 by the lever 78, so that remaining suspended from the grip 11 is but a short end.

Since the weft thread pulled through the grip 11 is unwound from the spool 6 of the weft carrier, the thread wound on the spool 6 in the winding process has a length exceeding that of the thread laid in the loom shed, an allowance being made just for the length of its unwinding.

Rotation of the hollow tube 16 from the fixed cam 9 is effected as follows.

Before the weft thread is started to be wound on the spools 6 of the carriers, the roller 52 of the arm 47 (FIG. 2) disengages the cam 48, and the upper clutch member 42 (FIG. 3) acted up on by the spring 45 sinks along the shaft 37 to engage the teeth 44 of the lower clutch member 43. With the rotation of the plate 8, the roller 39 of the gear segment 31 moves along the slot 40 of the cam 9 and turns the segment 31, the latter rotating the lower clutch member 43 which in turn rotates the clutch member 42 and the shaft 37 carrying the gear 32.

Rotation from the gear 32 is transmitted to the hollow tube 16 through the gears 33, 34 and 35. After the winding process has been completed and the hollow tube 16 with the thread guide 18 is fixed by the arrangement 20, the upper clutch member 42 is lifted by the bifurcated arm 47 (FIG. 2) and disengages the clutch member 43, thus breaking the connection of the hollow tube 16 with the segment 31 which now rotates in the reverse direction together with the clutch member 43. In this process, the bifurcated arm 47 is actuated by the fixed wedge-shaped cam 48 (FIG. 3) through the roller 52, the arm 51, and the shaft 50.

In case the mechanism 41 (FIG. 5) is made as a differential gearing, motion from the segment 31 is transmitted as follows.

With the rotation of the plate 8, the sun gear 66 is set in uniform and continuous rotation and rolls around the fixed gear 67 through the idle gear 72.

To begin winding, the segment 31 starts turning and rotates the gear 69 with the pinion carrier 65 the end of which carries the pinion 68. The latter rolls over the inner toothing of the sun gear 66, thus causing addition of speeds, i.e., rotation of the sun gear 66 and the pinion 68 in the same direction. The pinion drives the ring gear 64 which through the shafts transmits rotation to the gears 73 and 74, and thus to the hollow tube 16.

After the hollow tube 16 with the thread guide has been locked, the segment 31 starts swivelling in the reverse direction and causes the pinion 68 to roll over the inner toothing 71 of the sun gear in the direction opposite to that of rotation of the sun gear 66, i.e., their speeds are subtracted, and no rotation is transmitted to the ring gear 64 and, accordingly, to the hollow tube 16.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers in travelling wave looms, wherein the weft carriers fitted with thread tensioners are moved by an endless conveyor having rotary sections, and wherein all the mechanisms are driven from the main shaft of the loom, comprising: a fixed shaft; a plate rotatably mounted on said shaft above one of the rotary sections of the conveyor; a gearing that rotates said plate from said main shaft of the loom and is rotatably mounted thereon; a fixed cam provided on said shaft; grips for the weft end; means for winding the weft thread, each comprising a two-ended hollow tube; a thread guide mounted in one end of said hollow tube, said grips and hollow tubes being arranged around the periphery of said plate at a distance from said shaft that equals the radius of the rotary section of the endless conveyor, to bring into coincidence the trajectories of movement of the weft carrier and the hollow tube within said rotary section, this zone of coincidence of the trajectories having a point of convergence and a point of divergence of the trajectories; means for moving said conveyor in synchronism with said plate which are located on said plate; said hollow tube being mounted in the plate ahead of said weft end grip so as to be aligned during the plate rotation, with the spool of the weft carrier within the zone of coincidence of the trajectories; one more gearing which is mounted on said plate so as to ride over said fixed cam and which rotates said hollow tube within said zone of coincidence of trajectories; an outlet hole of said thread guide arranged in level with the spool of said weft carrier; an arrangement mounted at the other end of said hollow tube and serving to fix the thread guide before reaching said point of divergence of trajectories in a position, wherein said thread guide passes through said thread tensioner of the weft carrier after the latter has passed said point of divergence to lay the weft thread in said thread tensioner and then through said weft end grip between the points of divergence and convergence of trajectories.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gearing mounted on the plate comprises a gear segment pivotally mounted on the plate, one end of which segment has a toothing, and the other end is fitted with a roller which rides over the fixed cam during the rotation of the plate and thus causing reciprocal-rotary motion of the gear segment, the latter interacting with a gear train, one gear of which is fixed on the hollow tube, and the shafts of the other gears are pivotally mounted on the plate, the interaction of the gear segment with the gear train being effected through a mechanism which prevents rotation of the hollow tube in the direction opposite to the direction of winding the weft thread on the spool of the weft carrier.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mechanism adapted to prevent rotation of the tube in the direction opposite to the direction of weft thread winding comprises a jaw clutch consisting of two clutch members which are spring-forced against each other, are mounted one above the other on the shaft of one of the gears of said gear train, and have teeth facing each other, the upper clutch member being mounted on the shaft so as to be capable of moving therealong as the gear segment rotates opposite to the direction of winding the weft thread on the spool of the weft carrier to disengage the lower clutch member the latter being essentially a gear meshing with the gear segment and rotatably mounted on the shaft, the disengagement of the clutch members being effected by a bifurcated arm straddling the upper clutch member and moving it along the shaft as this arm is actuated by a fixed wedgeshaped cam arranged parallel to the trajectory of movement of the hollow tube outside the zone of coincidence of trajectories.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mechanism adapted to prevent rotation of the tube in the direction opposite to the direction of weft thread winding is made as a differential gearing comprising a ring gear, a pinion carrier one end of which carries the pinion, and the other end, a gear meshing with the gear seg ment, a sun gear with outer and inner toothings, and a fixed gear secured under the fixed cam and meshing, through an idle gear, with the outer toothing of the sun gear; the inner toothing of the latter being engaged through the pinion with the ring gear, the ring gear being mounted on the shaft of the gear of said gear train, the pinion carrier and the sun gear being rotatably mounted on same shaft.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the arrangement adapted to fix the thread guide comprises as interlocking disk with a recess on its side surface which is mounted on the hollow tube, and a three-arm lever pivotally mounted on the rotary plate, one arm of which contacts a fixed wedge-shaped cam arranged parallel to the coinciding trajectories, the other arm contacts the interlocking disk so as to enter its recess before the point of divergence of the trajectories is reached, and thus to fix the disk and, accordingly, the hollow tube with the thread guide, while the third arm engages a cam mounted on the shaft of the gear of said gear train.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein mounted on the rotary plate over the hollow tube are a grip of the weft thread and a compensator of the weft thread length, the latter being made as a spring-loaded lever, one end of which is pivotally connected to the plate and which has near this end a slot, wherein a roller is mounted movably therealong, said roller interacting with a fixed wedge-shaped cam provided before the,

point of coincidence of the trajectories and in the beginning of the zone of their coincidence, while the other end of the lever has an eyelet through which passes the weft thread running from the weft end grip through the hollow tube to said weft grip, this lever being placed between the hollow tube and the weft grip and being capable of swinging when its roller interacts with the fixed wedge-shaped cam to pull in the end of the weft thread through the weft end grip and the hollow tube after it has been cut off near the thread tensioner of the weft carrier.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein located before the point of coincidence of the trajectories is a curved rod serving to lift the weft thread stretched between the weft end grip and the thread guide.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein with a view to locating the outler hole of the thread guide in level with the spool of the weft carrier, a recess is provided in the latter for placing the spool therein so that a clearance is left between the casing of the weft carrier and the spool to accommodate the thread guide therein.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein used as the means for moving the conveyor are U-shaped teeth provided on the side surface of the plate which engage the conveyor and more it together with the plate.

10. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spool has a tapered shape for uniform spreading of the turns of the weft thread wound thereon. 

1. A device for winding weft thread on the spools of weft carriers in travelling wave looms, wherein the weft carriers fitted with thread tensioners are moved by an endless conveyor having rotary sections, and wherein all the mechanisms are driven from the main shaft of the loom, comprising: a fixed shaft; a plate rotatably mounted on said shaft above one of the rotary sections of the conveyor; a gearing that rotates said plate from said main shaft of the loom and is rotatably mounted thereon; a fixed cam provided on said shaft; grips for the weft end; means for winding the weft thread, each comprising a two-ended hollow tube; a thread guide mounted in one end of said hollow tube, said grips and hollow tubes being arranged around the periphery of said plate at a distance from said shaft that equals the radius of the rotary section of the endless conveyor, to bring into coincidence the trajectories of movement of the weft carrier and the hollow tube within said rotary section, this zone of coincidence of the trajectories having a point of convergence anD a point of divergence of the trajectories; means for moving said conveyor in synchronism with said plate which are located on said plate; said hollow tube being mounted in the plate ahead of said weft end grip so as to be aligned during the plate rotation, with the spool of the weft carrier within the zone of coincidence of the trajectories; one more gearing which is mounted on said plate so as to ride over said fixed cam and which rotates said hollow tube within said zone of coincidence of trajectories; an outlet hole of said thread guide arranged in level with the spool of said weft carrier; an arrangement mounted at the other end of said hollow tube and serving to fix the thread guide before reaching said point of divergence of trajectories in a position, wherein said thread guide passes through said thread tensioner of the weft carrier after the latter has passed said point of divergence to lay the weft thread in said thread tensioner and then through said weft end grip between the points of divergence and convergence of trajectories.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gearing mounted on the plate comprises a gear segment pivotally mounted on the plate, one end of which segment has a toothing, and the other end is fitted with a roller which rides over the fixed cam during the rotation of the plate and thus causing reciprocal-rotary motion of the gear segment, the latter interacting with a gear train, one gear of which is fixed on the hollow tube, and the shafts of the other gears are pivotally mounted on the plate, the interaction of the gear segment with the gear train being effected through a mechanism which prevents rotation of the hollow tube in the direction opposite to the direction of winding the weft thread on the spool of the weft carrier.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mechanism adapted to prevent rotation of the tube in the direction opposite to the direction of weft thread winding comprises a jaw clutch consisting of two clutch members which are spring-forced against each other, are mounted one above the other on the shaft of one of the gears of said gear train, and have teeth facing each other, the upper clutch member being mounted on the shaft so as to be capable of moving therealong as the gear segment rotates opposite to the direction of winding the weft thread on the spool of the weft carrier to disengage the lower clutch member the latter being essentially a gear meshing with the gear segment and rotatably mounted on the shaft, the disengagement of the clutch members being effected by a bifurcated arm straddling the upper clutch member and moving it along the shaft as this arm is actuated by a fixed wedge-shaped cam arranged parallel to the trajectory of movement of the hollow tube outside the zone of coincidence of trajectories.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mechanism adapted to prevent rotation of the tube in the direction opposite to the direction of weft thread winding is made as a differential gearing comprising a ring gear, a pinion carrier one end of which carries the pinion, and the other end, a gear meshing with the gear segment, a sun gear with outer and inner toothings, and a fixed gear secured under the fixed cam and meshing, through an idle gear, with the outer toothing of the sun gear; the inner toothing of the latter being engaged through the pinion with the ring gear, the ring gear being mounted on the shaft of the gear of said gear train, the pinion carrier and the sun gear being rotatably mounted on same shaft.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the arrangement adapted to fix the thread guide comprises as interlocking disk with a recess on its side surface which is mounted on the hollow tube, and a three-arm lever pivotally mounted on the rotary plate, one arm of which contacts a fixed wedge-shaped cam arranged parallel to the coinciding trajectories, the other arm contacts the interlocking disk so as to enter its recess before the point of divergence of the trajectoriEs is reached, and thus to fix the disk and, accordingly, the hollow tube with the thread guide, while the third arm engages a cam mounted on the shaft of the gear of said gear train.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein mounted on the rotary plate over the hollow tube are a grip of the weft thread and a compensator of the weft thread length, the latter being made as a spring-loaded lever, one end of which is pivotally connected to the plate and which has near this end a slot, wherein a roller is mounted movably therealong, said roller interacting with a fixed wedge-shaped cam provided before the point of coincidence of the trajectories and in the beginning of the zone of their coincidence, while the other end of the lever has an eyelet through which passes the weft thread running from the weft end grip through the hollow tube to said weft grip, this lever being placed between the hollow tube and the weft grip and being capable of swinging when its roller interacts with the fixed wedge-shaped cam to pull in the end of the weft thread through the weft end grip and the hollow tube after it has been cut off near the thread tensioner of the weft carrier.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein located before the point of coincidence of the trajectories is a curved rod serving to lift the weft thread stretched between the weft end grip and the thread guide.
 8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein with a view to locating the outler hole of the thread guide in level with the spool of the weft carrier, a recess is provided in the latter for placing the spool therein so that a clearance is left between the casing of the weft carrier and the spool to accommodate the thread guide therein.
 9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein used as the means for moving the conveyor are U-shaped teeth provided on the side surface of the plate which engage the conveyor and more it together with the plate.
 10. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spool has a tapered shape for uniform spreading of the turns of the weft thread wound thereon. 